Exemplary embodiments pertain to the art of electric machines and, more particularly to a starter motor having a removable solenoid tower.
Conventional internal combustion engines employ a motor starter to initialize motor rotation. Once initialized, combustion gases provide energy to maintain the motor rotation. Thus, once the engine begins normal operation, the motor starter must disengage. A typical motor starter includes an armature having a commutator and a plurality of windings arranged within a magnetic field. Electrical energy is passed through two or more brushes into the commutator. The electrical energy is transformed into magnetic energy that causes the armature to rotate. The rotation of the armature is imparted to a flywheel of the internal combustion engine.
The motor starter typically includes a gear that is selectively moved into engagement with the flywheel. A solenoid, mounted to the motor starter, selectively extends the gear into engagement with the flywheel upon activation of the starter motor. The gear is retracted upon cessation of power to the motor starter. In addition to the gear, the motor starter typically includes a clutch which ensures that the flywheel does not over spin the motor starter when the internal combustion engine starts.